do aftermarket chains do anything special

[mullen1990]

when i bough my bike the previous owner had given me two slightly used aftermarket chains. he said an O chain and then some other type. he also said that the current one has the Master chain link or something. he said it was something needed to put new ones on.

i could be mistaken and false on what he said. but is there a point to put one of the more flashy looking chains on it? or just keep the stock one on?

[nd4spdbh]

be careful a 525 520 and 530 size chain all look similar in size but can not work together on different sprockets.

alot of people go from the stock 530 size down to a 520 size to reduce rotating mass other than that there isnt much.

[beefsalad]

Originally Posted by mullen1990

when i bough my bike the previous owner had given me two slightly used aftermarket chains. he said an O chain and then some other type. he also said that the current one has the Master chain link or something. he said it was something needed to put new ones on.

i could be mistaken and false on what he said. but is there a point to put one of the more flashy looking chains on it? or just keep the stock one on?

There are o-ring chains, x-ring chains, and some other type ring chain I believe.
Besides that, there are different sizes (as previous commenter suggests). There are also different master link types. The rivet type (All I run on my street bike) and the clip type. I run the clip type on my dirt bike, but only because I haven't worn that chain out yet. Clip types are more "user serviceable" (e.g. replaceable) as they do not require special tools to install/remove the chain. A rivet type master link requires a special tool (or some southern enginuity) to install/remove. Also, the rivet type are single-use only application.

[nd4spdbh]

for rivet type... an angle grider to get off, a big sledge and a lil ball peen hammer to put on haha.

[mullen1990]

Originally Posted by nd4spdbh

for rivet type... an angle grider to get off, a big sledge and a lil ball peen hammer to put on haha.

he said that hes used them before. so i know there a good size.

but what does a said Master Key look like? he gave it to me but i forgot what it looked like… and where i put it for that matter.

i can find random things from 4 years ago. but something of use always gets lost

[marylandmike]

Master Link should look something like this:

[mullen1990]

Originally Posted by marylandmike

Master Link should look something like this:

and whats the process to remove that and replace it with a new one? sorry for being such a novice about this.

[Stutz]

Be careful with those chains. Like n4s said one size looks a lot like another.
Also - what ever brand the chain is, I would use that same brands master link.

If the chain has a spot where it stretched and you put that on your bike along
with new sprockets you could trash your new sprockets.

[marylandmike]

Originally Posted by mullen1990

and whats the process to remove that and replace it with a new one? sorry for being such a novice about this.

Here's a decent video on youtube of the process

How to Replace and Rivet a Motorcycle Chain (DL650) - YouTube

[Jeef]

i'd be curious just how "slightly" used they are there is no point to putting on an old worn out chain and then have it break on you

[Ken Phenix]

If the chain will flex sideways it's a goner. You could lay it on the garage floor next to a new one to gauge how much it has stretched. You pretty much get what you pay for when buying a new chain. Tensile strength equates to longevity too. Unless you're talking about a track bike where every unsprung ounce counts and those skinny 520 chains and aluminum sprockets only need to last a few races, a 10,000# 530 setup is the way to go. An 8,000# chain will last no time under the immense torque of a 919. I have had good service from RK and EK chains. I just installed a new EK ZZZ chain rated at 11,000#. $160 on ebay. We'll see how long it lasts.